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L. W. DOWNES AND W. S. MAYER.

FLOAT CONTROLLED SWHCH. APPLICATION HLED JUNE 22. I915.

1,307, 1 89. Patented June 17, 1919. v z 3 SHEET$SHEET l.

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FLOAT CONTROLLED SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. I915.

Patented June 17, 1919.

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L. w. DOWNE S AND w. s. MAYER. FLOAT CONTROLLED SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. I9I5. v 1,307,189. Patented Jun'e 17, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- fay/1 luwzmtoz UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

LOUIS W. DOWNES AND WALTER S. MAYER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND,ASSIGNORS TO D & W FUSE COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A

CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

FLOAT-CONTROLLED SWITCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LoUIs W. DOWNES and WALTER S. MAYER, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of the city of Providence, in thecounty of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Float- Controlled Switches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to electric switches of the float controlled typemore particularly adapted for use in connection with tanks, reservoirsand the like for the purpose of controlling the operation of a motordriven pump, electric signal, or other electrical device, eitherdirectly or indirectly, by a change of liquid levels in the receptacle,but the switch may be employed for any other purpose for which it may beadapted and operated by any suitable means. 7

The object of this invention is to provide a switch of this characterthat is compact in construction, positive and quick of action,

, and is one in which the actuator by its first movement stores up powerand then releases the contact element to be moved by this power at aspeed entirely independent of the movement of the actuator, to break ormake the electric circuit by a quick snap or movement.

A further object of the invention is to interpose pivoted links betweenthe actuating member and contact element, whereby a predeterminedmovement of the actuator first stores up the operating power and thenreleases the same to throw the contact element.

The invention further consists in the provision of a weather proof,water tight and oil tight casing, and to support this casing in thedesired position by means of the conduit through which the circuit wiresare conducted to this casing.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the mechanism within thecasing so that the power applied to throw the contact will be perfectlybalanced to reduce the operating friction of the moving parts to theminimum.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby thefloat may act upon the circuit breaking mechanisu'i through the movementof a lever if desired which Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 1117, 1919 I Application filed .Tune 22, 1915. Serial No. 35,673.

construction is more particularly adapted for use in what is known asdeep well type of apparatus.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a portion of a tank in sectionwith our improved switch casing supported in operative positionthereovcr on the end of the wire carrying conduit also representing afloat as acting directly upon the operating mechamsm.

Fig. 2 is a central sectional view showing the contact plate in raisedor operative position and an edge view of the links connecting theactuating float rod and the contact carrying tube.

Fig. 3- is a sectional view of the casing showing a sideview of anotherform of operating links with the contact plate dropped or in inoperativeposition.

Fig. 4- is an edge view of the form of operating links illustrated inFig. 3 showing the same as connectingthe float rod with the contactplate tube.

Fig. 5- is a top view of the insulating block normally located on theinner side of the casing cap.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7- is a plan view illustrating a double pole form of switch inwhich two pairs of contact fingers are arranged, each to engage separatecontact plates.

Fig. 8- shows the casing in section and one arrangement of the twoplates in the double pole form of switch.

.Fig. 9 is a side elevation showing a portion of the deep well type of.device in which the casing is in section and a rope operated lever isshown as. controlled in its action by the movement of a float and weightby which the circuit making and breaking mechanism is operatedindirectly by the float movement.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the float rope operated lever throughwhich the circuit making and breaking mechanism is operate'd.

Fig. 11 shows an edge view of the bow type of spring acting on linksarranged to operate as a toggle joint.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the'mechanism shown in Fig. 11.' Fig. 13- is amodification showing a double cone shaped member connected to thecontact element which is snapped either upward or downward by the actionof a bow type of spring carried by the actuating member.

Fig. 14- is another modification showing the same form of double conebut acted upon by pivotally mounted spring pressed arms.

Referring to the drawings 20 designates the switch casing in whiclrtheoperating mechanism is mounted. This casing has .a bottom portion 21provided with a boss 22 having a threaded opening 23. A cap 25 issecured to the top of the casing by bolts 26 and is provided with anupwardly extending central boss 27 having a large threaded opening 28into which a conduit 29 is screwed. This conduit is providedat one endwith a base member 30 which may be connected by screws or otherwise tothe tank 24, wall or other suitable place for the purpose f supportingthe switch casing in the desired position.

This conduit in addition to supporting the casing, also serves as aconvenient and necessary means for carrying the circuit wires 31 to andfrom the mechanism within the casing. On the inner side of this cap 25is secured an insulating block 32 into which the wires 31 are led andconnected to the binding posts 33 which latter connects the downwardlyextending conductors 34, the lower end of which carry the contactfingers 35.

A tube 36 threaded at its lower end is screwed into the opening in theboss 22 and projects upward for some distance into the casing for threepurposes; first, to provide a suitable guide for the fioat rodoractuating member 37; second, to prevent the oil or other liquid withwhich the easing may be partially filled, from running out, and third itserves as a convenient guide bearing for the vertically sliding sleeve38 which carries the contact plate 39 insulated therefrom by theinsulation 40.

This float rod or actuating member may in some cases extend downwardlyand con nect directly with the operating float 19 as illustrated inFig. 1. or this actuating member maybe operated indirectly by themovement of the float through a lever as illustrated in Fig. 9 or anyother suitable means or mechanism may be employed for actuating this rodfor the purpose of tripping the operating mechanism presently described.

An essential feature of this construction is the provision of meanswhereby a quick,

that of a bow form of spring 47, whose opposite ends 48 and 49 arecurled about pins 50 and 51, in the outer ends f'the respective links 41and 42, the middle portion of the spring being connected at 52 to theupper end 53 of the fioat rod 89. The spring is preferably of a broadfiat form as illustrated in Fig. 12 with the middle portion of the armsat 88 cut away so as to graduate the cross-section of the two arms torender its strength proportional throughout its length.

The action of a spring of this character is that when the contact plateis raised into operative position, the links 41 and 42 are in theposition of least tension as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. When the floatrises the ends 48 and 49 of the links swing outward gradually increasingthis tension until the links pass the center line ab or the point ofconnection to the contact plate tube. at

which time the spring acting through the links, force their centralpivoting point 43 downward, causing a quick snap or movement on theplate 39 to break the circuit through the contact fingers 35.

Owing to the fact that this type of spring is liable to set or lose itseffectiveness after long action, we prefer to use the helical type ofspring as shown at 54 in Figs. 3 and 4 in the use of which spring weprovide a-cap 55 attached to the upper end of the float rod or actuatingmember 37 the same having arms 56 and 57 with pins 58 and 59 to which ispivoted the second set of link members 60 and 61, the lower end of thesemembers being connect-ed by pins 62 and 63 to the links 41 and 42. Onthe pins 58 and 59 we have placed the-coil springs 54 which are adaptedto act upon the arms 0 and 61 to press them inward, and so causesubstantially the same action upon the links 41 and 42 as is the casewith the bow springs, that is, when the float rod, which in Fig. 3 isshown in raised position, moves downward the ends 45 and 46 ot' thelinks 41 and 42 are swung outward until they reach and pass the centerline c-rl, then these springs which have been placed under tension bythe outward motion of the links act to move the tube 38 upward and throwthe contact plate against the contact fingers with a quick. sharpstroke. I \Vhen a double throw type of switch is desired the contacts 35may be reversed into the dotted position shown in Fig. 2 so that anothercontact will be made and another circuit completed when the plate movesto down position.

In some cases when a double pole switch is desired, two separate contactplates 64 and 65 are employed, see Figs. 7 and 8, the plate 64 engagingthe pair of fingers 66 while the plate 65 engages the pair of fingers67, each pair being shown in Fig. 7 as set at 90 from each other. Whenheavy currents are to be carried we provide laminated contact fingers 67as illustrated in Fig. 8 but for light currents at single form ofcontact finger is employed as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

A feature of this invention -is the deep well type of constructionillustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, in which a frame 68'is connected to thebottom of the casing 69 through which the float rod 70 works. In thisframe is mounted a pulley 71 over which a rope 7 2 is drawn in onedirection by the float 7 3 which float is counter-balanced by the weight74:. On the rope is mounted engaging members 7 5 and 76. A lever 77 ispivoted to the pulley shaft 78 and is provided with downwardly extendingears 79 which are provided with pins 80 and to which are connected alink 81 whose upper end is pivotally connected to the lower end 82 ofthe float rod 7 0. As the water falls in the tank the float 7 3 dropsand causes the weight 74: to rise and the member 7 5 to engage the lever77 and swing the same substantially 180 about its shaft, passing betweenthe arms of the link 81 so that it will extend in the oppositedirection. This movement as will be seen throws the pins 80 from down toup position on the opposite side of the shaft, which movement operatesthrough the rod 70 on the mechanism above described to reverse theposition of the contact plate. lVhen the water lever rises again themember 76 will engage and retain this lever to .the position shown inFig. 9 which action also serves to again shift the contact plate. Figs.13 and 14 show modified forms of construction by which the contact platemay ,be moved either up or down with a quick sharp snapping action tomake or break the circuit. In the constructions shown in Fig.. 13, 8:2represents the bow type of spring mounted on the float rod 90 and havingrolls S3 at its ends which engage the surface of a double cone member84L, whereby a. down- .ward movement of the float rod causes the rollersto pass over the largest center of the cone and the inward pressure ofthe spring causes a quick upward movement of the cone and the contactplate which is connected to the sleeve 91.

Practically the same effect is secured by the action of the mechanismillustrated in Fig. 14. in which the arms 85 are pressed inwardly by thecoil springs 86 to act upon the double cone 87 in the manner of the bowspring illustrated in Fig. 13 as above described.

This invention is not restricted to any of the particular forms ofmechanism herein illustrated and described as various modifications maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

\Ve claim:

1. A switch of the character described comprising an actuator member, aguiding means engaging one end thereof, means connected with the otherend of the actuator member for imparting rectilinear movement thereto, acontact carrier movably engaging said guiding means and having a lostmotion connection with the guided end of said actuator and means forimparting sudden independent movement to said carrier when the actuatormember has moved a predetermined distance.

2. A switch of the character described comprising an actuator member, aguiding means engaging one end thereof, means connected with the otherend of said actuator member for imparting rectilinear movement thereto,a contact carrier movably engaging said guiding means, links pivotallyconnecting said contact member with the guided end of said actuator toprovide a lost motion connection, and springs acting upon said links toin'lpart sudden independent movement to said contact carrier when theactuator member has moved a predetermined distance.

3. A switch of the character described comprising an actuating rod, anda tubular guide therefor, a contact member slidable upon said guide,said contact member and said rod having complemental means for impartingsudden independent movement to the contact member when the rod is moveda predetermined distance.

4. A switch of the character described comprising an actuator rod, atubular guide therefor, a sleeve slidable upon said guide and providedwith a movable contact member, links pivoted to said sleeve, andspringthe rod for imparting movement thereto, a sleeve slidable on saidguide and provided with a movable contact member, links pivoted to saidsleeve and spring means connecting said rod and said links,

7. A switch of the character described comprising an actuator member, aguide therefor, a contact member movably engaging said guide,linkspivotaliy attached to the contact member, and spring links movablyattached to said actuator member and to said first mentioned links.

8. A switch of the character described comprising an actuator rod, atubular guide therefor, a movable contact member slidable on said guide,links pivoted to said movable contact member, and spring links movablynsoawe rod, 1

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twoWitnesses.

LOUIS W. DOWNES, WALTER S. MAYER. Witnesses:

GEORGE W. STEERE, R. 6. Barron.

